A native of Kansas, Watson Bidwell graduated with a BFA from the University of Denver in 1934 and later earned a Masters in Education from Colorado State College. He studied under various artists including, BJO Nordfeldt, Walt Kuhn and John E Thompson. He served as the Curator of Oriental Art at the Denver Art Museum between 1936 and 1939. Following service in WWII, he served as the Head of the Art Department at East High School in Wichita before resettling permanently in Colorado in 1957.